978-380-8030

HRP2 Thoughts & Approaches

Sustainabilty in the Workplace

As the effects of climate change continue to manifest, it’s more important than ever for companies to take the initiative and incorporate sustainability into their core business models. Sustainability-minded business leaders must make sure that the entire organization is on board and demonstrates the same commitment to sustainability. This goes down to the individual employee level.
For businesses to attain a 21st-century view of employee engagement and environmental awareness, they need to look into how sustainability is integrated into each employee’s job description, according to human resources expert Jed Lindholm. Jed is the founder of consulting firm HR Performance Possibilities (HRP2) and Professor of Practice at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) who has published articles on competency modeling, leadership behavior, and measuring human resource programs.
“Businesses that have a full grasp of sustainability look beyond baseline compensation and how their people are engaged and working together to make a commitment to behave sustainably,” Jed says. “Companies need to make strategic decisions that result in minimized use of fossil fuels at all levels, including operations, production, and workforce engagement. This also includes the use of new technologies such as AI, fintech, and remote conferencing apps whenever possible to reduce their carbon footprint.”
Jed is part of a group at WPI that teaches business with a focus on leadership and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), helping ensure that the next generation of business leaders are taking action to make their businesses more sustainable instead of hiding their heads in the sand or treating the issue with indifference. This is especially important for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as they are the backbone of economies all around the world, accounting for 90% of businesses, over 70% of employment, and around 50% of global GDP.
According to Jed, MSMEs may think that sustainability only applies to large businesses, especially the global conglomerates that have a huge impact on the environment. However, MSMEs that integrate sustainability into their core business strategy can benefit from lower costs, reduced risk, and new opportunities. For example, a business that has instituted energy-saving procedures will save on energy costs, and building climate-resilient infrastructure will result in better insurance terms. To ensure that sustainability is effectively incorporated into a business’ DNA, it should be the job of each leader and team member – where success is measured not just by revenue and customer satisfaction, but also by changes in behavior that are supporting companies' sustainable targets. This includes the use of material resources, energy consumption, and contribution to environment-focused projects.
An organization’s environmental impact can be measured through Scope 1, 2, and 3 Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Scope 1 refers to direct emissions that are owned or controlled by the organization. These include emissions that are generated directly by a company, including but not limited to the burning of fossil fuels, industrial processes, and transportation. Scope 2 refers to indirect emissions from the generation of the energy used by the business. Meanwhile, Scope 3 includes all indirect emissions not captured by Scope 2 that occur in the value chain of the reporting company, including both upstream and downstream emissions.
Through HRP2, Jed helps educate MSME business owners about the advantages of creating an environmentally sustainable business, the various sustainability issues they may encounter along the way, as well as how to solve these issues. Inspired by the work of Isabel Rimanoczy and her book, The Sustainability Mindset Principles, HRP2 helps businesses adopt more sustainability-focused mindsets that permeate throughout the entire organization.
“Most of the time, HR departments are very reactionary, as they are much more focused on finding people for job vacancies,” Jed says. “Transitioning to a sustainability mindset needs an HR leader who acknowledges what needs to be done, whether instituting ESG measures, complying with governmental regulations, or incorporating sustainability into employees’ KPIs. With today’s younger generations more environmentally minded than their predecessors, it’s important that employers demonstrate that they’re concerned about employees’ mental well-being as well as their operational sustainable behaviors. As for the older generations, this will help them realize that sustainability is about preserving the world for their descendants. In a sense, this is an intergenerational way of addressing current operational concerns with future legacy succession planning concerns.”

Redesigning the New Normal

Redesigning the New NormalThe Covid crisis is an opportunity for making the changes we’ve been wanting to make. In the United States, Social distancing began the 2nd week in March. Over the past eight months we’ve been living in a new normal that is likely to be extended into 2021. We don’t know when we will get through this event. Not since the Great Depression have we seen such an abrupt change in employment, the stock market, daily business routines, and our way of living. The changes we are seeing such as remote work, telemedicine, decreased travel, and increased concern for physical and economic health is unprecedented, which makes now the right time to plan for the changes we want to see in our new normal. How do we see the new normal? How do we operate in the new normal, and how do we begin new daily routines so that we see the new normal as a positive reality and not a threatening reality? Our new Covid environment is an opportunity to talk with others and design new approaches and processes for the 21st century. As Ben Franklin is credited as saying “You may delay, but time will not.” Now is the time for all of us to design our new normal. Frame a New Mindset of our FutureOur new normal that embraces new conferencing technologies as a daily operating system. Conferencing services such as Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, and Cisco Webex are now the primary tools for education, healthcare operations and some types of patient visits, retail, and our contact with each other. While we all are looking forward to gathering and being with each other, our current use of online conferencing and working remotely will be a significant part of our lives and our jobs in the new normal. We should begin to develop a curious mindset that learns how to access and fully use conferencing technologies to improve the health, our lives, our jobs, and our world. Anchor our Best SelvesOur new normal that includes increased awareness of the value in being fully mentally present with each other when we can be together. The best practices when we are together will include the following: 1. To be fully involved in the reason for the meeting, 2. To be actively listening when others are talking, 3. To ask for clarification on how topics are connected, and 4. To recognize the value of others and to let them know they are an important part of the group. Being socially distant now should increase the value we have for each other when we are socially close in the future. Adapt to ImproveOur new normal that recognizes we live in, and increasingly are, a global community. As a global community, we will highlight the importance of science, empirical data, and encouragement of health and sustainable practices. Our local, state, regional, and federal organizations will adapt and change themselves in order to improve the physical and economic health for all people in all communities. We are living in a shared change moment that provides a window for us to see and create a sustainable future. A new mindset of the future, renewed appreciation of others, and continuous adaptation are design elements in the new normal. Let’s not lose this opportunity to be the change you want to see.
Why Change?The Pandemic is redefining how work is conducted with health and safety taking precedence over profits. This new focus on the health of others provides an opportunity for organizations to renew their focus on people and how jobs are designed. These five elements will help reinvigorate work and clarify the what and why of each job. 1. Mission/Strategy/Purpose 2. Interpersonal Contacts 3. Job Leveling and Equity Comparison 4. Accountability Measures 5. Career Mapping How to Change? A new mindset of adaptability with online and remote work. Who demonostrate and can talk about concern for fellow employee, mental well being, and company needs. Who to Involve in the Change Begin with core group of change supporters that is help each other. From there grow the group to include people who will be directly impacted by the change. The group champions should be as big as 20% of the group being changed.


  • Identifying and retaining your key talent is the first step in actively managing your company's future. (Count)
  • Tracking their time and job assignments is the next data element company's use to assess an employee's internal connections to the company. (Tenure)
  • Base compensation to the external market median is one of key data point. The other critical point is the internal base pay comparison. These two compensation points provide a company with an awareness flag for retaining key talent and possible internal equity pay concerns to be addressed. (Market Median)
  • Average OTE is the top line cash compensation point that your company can use to communicate with each person on their own base pay relative to the comparative market your company defines. (OTE)
  • Long Term Incentive awards provide the strategic retention tool for the highest level of leadership. (LTI)
Copyright © 2020 Register.com, A Web.com Company. All Rights Reserved.